Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at the Daytona 500 and first 5 races of 2010:
No changes, the spread between 35th and 36th dropped to 96 points (was 114)
34) #7-Gordon/Robby Gordon: 2790, +155
35) #34-Andretti/Earnhardt Ganassi: 2731, finished 96 points ahead of 36ththese teams/drivers must qualify by speed but are close to the top-35:
36) #82-Speed/Red Bull: 2635, finished 96 points out of 35th
37) #71-BLabonte/TRG Motorsports: 2215 -516
BUT...with the #26 team closing down and one of the RPM teams [likely the #44] closing down when Yates Racing and RPM merge, if those teams do not 'sell' the owners points/car number to another team, #82 and #71 could move into the top-35 in 2010.
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race. With the exception of the start of the season when the top 35 is locked in for the first five races [Daytona, Auto Club, Las Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol](11-22-2009)

NOTE: DRIVERS points and OWNERS points are NOT the same, teams who fail to make the race still get points, while drivers who miss the race get no points

OWNERS CHASE: The Owners championship takes the same format as the drivers championship. Owners have their own Chase, so if a team uses more then one driver and is in the Top 12 after 26 races, that TEAM [not driver] would run for the Chase for the owners championship. The drivers would NOT. This means a driver in the Chase would have a team that is NOT in the chase. Rules on The Chase on my Chase News and Rules page 2009

NOTES II: these points standings are directly from NASCAR Statistics, the unofficial are posted after the race and the official are posted when released, usually sometime Monday afternoon. If they differ from NASCAR.com, take it up with NASCAR.com, I do NOT run that site and have no idea why they would differ, usually with the way penalties are handled, Folks with questions can email NASCAR or NASCAR.com, see my Racing FAQ page this info. Most questions come from folks in Fantasy Leagues, I don't not participate or follow these, ask the person running it how they handles penalties, they should have a rule for such a thing, I do not mediate such things or draft drivers for anyone.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES OWNER LEADERS
LAST RACE DATE: 11/22/2009

RACE RACE #36: HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY PRINTOUT DATE: 11/23/2009

POS CAR# OWNER NAME POINTS STARTS WINS TOP 5 TOP 10 ATTEMPTS

148JEFF GORDON 486652 367162436

25MARY HENDRICK 56511365142136

324RICK HENDRICK 246473361162536

42WALTER CZARNECKI 26446362102136

511J D GIBBS 116335364152036

614MARGARET HAAS 146309364152336

716JACK ROUSH 166292360101636

8 42TERESA EARNHARDT 42625236071836

939TONY STEWART 39617536051536

109GEORGE GILLETT, JR 9612836271436

1199JACK ROUSH 99611836071436

1283DIETRICH MATESCHITZ 83592936141336

1318JOE GIBBS 18445736491336

1417JOHN HENRY 17438936271236

1533BOBBY GINN, III 33435936041636

1600MICHAEL WALTRIP
00422136151036

1731RICHARD CHILDRESS
31402236051036

1847ROB KAUFFMAN
4738303604736

1929RICHARD CHILDRESS
2937963605936

2020JOE GIBBS 2037913613736

2107RICHARD CHILDRESS
0737593600436

2226GEOFF SMITH
2636043611536

231TERESA EARNHARDT
135033601636

2444GEORGE GILLETT, JR
4434763601636

2588RICK HENDRICK 8834223602536

2619GEORGE GILLETT, JR
1933503601536

276JOHN HENRY 632523600236

2877BILLDAVIS 7732033602736

2943RICHARD PETTY
4331473600136

3012ROGER PENSKE
1231173600036

3196JEFF MOORAD
9630353601136

3255MICHAEL WALTRIP
5530333600236

3398MAX JONES 9829793600036

347ROBBY GORDON 727903601136

3534TERESA EARNHARDT
3427313600036

3682DIETRICH MATESCHITZ 8226353301136

37171KEVIN BUCKLER 17122153500136

3809JAMES FINCH 0919182711336

39187ANDREA NEMECHEK 18716083200036

4078BARNEY VISSER 7815021800020

4136TOMMY BALDWIN 3614992500036

4266PHIL PARSONS 6614353100036

43113BOB GERMAIN 11312091500121

4421GLEN WOOD 2112011300013

4537BRAD JENKINS 378141300027

4625RICK HENDRICK 2573470018

4764LARRY GUNSELMAN 64487600018

4841SHANA MAYFIELD 41478500012

498CHIP GANASSI 845170007

5008JOHN CARTER 0840070008

5128JEFF MOORAD 2832340005

52202J D GIBBS 20224330003

5351DAVID BEAN 5121510008

54175DERRIKE COPE 17514400006

554JERRY MCCLURE 413510003

56170KEVIN BUCKLER 1701121 0004

57106THERESA BOYS 1069100004

58102KENNETH WOOD 1028710003

5973BARRY HAEFELE 738510006

60127KIRK SHELMERDINE 1277200003

61204ROBBY GORDON 2044020003

62135MICHAEL HILLMAN 1353100001

63157NORM BENNING 157700001

64123ROBERT RICHARDSON 123100001

65146DANIELLE LONG 146-15300002

UNOFFICIAL POINTS that were posted the day of the race
OFFICIAL POINTS WILL be posted sometime the afternoon the next business day, ABOVE
Source: NASCAR Statistics

#1 Chevy deemed too low UPDATE: The #1 Bass Pro Chevy driven by Martin Truex Jr. failed a post-race inspection when NASCAR officials found the height of the car was too low. The violation was discovered because the #1 Chevy was the random car selected for inspection after the Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Truex finished 14th. Any penalties for the team will be announced on Tuesday, NASCAR officials confirmed. NASCAR also is taking three cars back to the Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C. -- the #2 Dodge of race winner Kurt Busch, the #24 Chevy of Jeff Gordon, who finished 13th, and the #5 Chevy of Mark Martin, who finished fourth. NASCAR also will take three engines to the R&D Center -- the #2 Dodge, the #11 Toyota motor of driver Denny Hamlin, who finished second, and Gordon's. The winning car and the engines from the top two finishers always are inspected in the R&D Center.(ESPN)(11-9-2009)Penalties Issued For Car #1 Team: NASCAR announced penalties for the car No. 1 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for a violation that occurred during post-race inspection last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. The team was penalized for violating Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-12.8.1B (front of the car did not meet the required height specification; too low in post-race inspection). Crew chief Kevin Manion was fined $50,000 and remains on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2009. Car owner Teresa Earnhardt and driver Martin Truex Jr., were penalized with the loss of 50 championship owner and 50 championship driver points, respectively.(NASCAR)(11-10-2009)

#18 car too low in post race inspection: UPDATE: #18-Kyle Busch, who missed making the Chase by just eight points, finished 5th in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. But the left front of the #18 M&M's Toyota was too low in post-race inspection, and he could be penalized by NASCAR this week, usually announced on Tuesday afternoons.(ESPN/Associated Press)(9-20-2009)UPDATE: NASCAR has issued penalties to the #18 team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a result of a rule infraction found last Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The #18 car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-12.8 1B (the height of the car at the left front fender did not meet the required specification; too low in post-race inspection) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. Crew chief Steve Addington has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Driver Kyle Busch and car owner Joe Gibbs have been penalized 25 championship driver and 25 championship owner points, respectively.(NASCAR PR)(9-22-2009)

Truex's car too high at Chicago UPDATE Penalties announced: The #1 Chevy driven by Martin Truex Jr. did not pass a post-race inspection when NASCAR officials discovered the right rear quarter panel was too high on the car. Truex finished 16th in the LifeLock 400 race at Chicagoland Speedway. The car will be taken back to the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., for further evaluations. NASCAR officials will determine if the height problem is a violation that requires a penalty. Any announcement of the process will come later this week, likely on Tuesday or Wednesday. Similar height situations have resulted in championship point reductions and fines in the past.(ESPN.com)(7-12-2009)UPDATE: NASCAR announced that Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #1 Chevy in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, crew chief Kevin Manion and car owner Teresa Earnhardt have been penalized for rule violations during last weekend’s event at Chicagoland Speedway.
Truex was penalized 25 points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver standings. Manion was fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31, 2009. Earnhardt was penalized 25 points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner standings. The three were penalized for violating Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); Section 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules) and Section 20-12.8.1C (right rear quarter panel height did not meet the required specifications; too high in post-race inspection).(NASCAR)(7-14-2009) Comment here

Robby penalized for rear axle: NASCAR has issued penalties to the #7 team that competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a result of rules violations committed at Lowe’s Motor Speedway earlier this week. The #7 car, driven and owned by Robby Gordon, was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4I (any determination by NASCAR Officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-10.6H (rear axle housing exceeded the maximum specified toe of plus or minus one degree) of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book. The violation was found during post-race inspection on May 25. As a result, Gordon has been penalized with the loss of 50 championship owner and 50 championship driver points. Crew chief Kirk Almquist has been fined $50,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR PR)(5-27-2009) Comment here

Long's team recieves record penalty: NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines to the #46 team [#146] in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rules infractions committed during last weekend’s event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-I (any determination by NASCAR Officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-5.4A (engine exceeded the maximum engine size of 358.000 cubic inch displacement) of the 2009 NASCAR rule book. As a result, crew chief Charles Swing has been fined $200,000, suspended from the next 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship events, suspended from NASCAR until Aug. 18 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Driver Carl Long and owner Danielle Long have been penalized with the loss of 200 driver and 200 owner points, respectively, suspended from the next 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship events, suspended from NASCAR until Aug. 18 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR)(5-20-2009)